1 Nutrition in Plants
I
n Class VI you learnt that food is
essential for all living organisms.
You also learnt that carbohydrates,
proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals are
components of food. These components
of food are called nutrients and are
necessary for our body.
All living organisms require food.
Plants can make food for themselves but
animals including humans cannot.
They get it from plants or animals that
eat plants. Thus, humans and animals
are directly or indirectly dependent on
plants.
Boojho wants to know
how plants prepare
their own food.
1.1 MODE OF NUTRITION IN PLANTS
Plants are the only organisms that can
prepare food for themselves by using
water, carbon dioxide and minerals. The
raw materials are present in their
surroundings.
The nutrients enable living
organisms to build their bodies, to grow,
to repair damaged parts of their bodies
and provide the energy to carry out life
processes. Nutrition is the mode of
taking food by an organism and its
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utilisation by the body. The mode of
nutrition in which organisms make food
themselves from simple substances is
called autotrophic (auto = self; trophos
= nourishment) nutrition. Therefore,
plants are called autotrophs. Animals
and most other organisms take in food
prepared by plants. They are called
heterotrophs (heteros = other).
Paheli wants to know why
our body cannot make food
from carbon dioxide, water
and minerals like plants do.
Now we may ask where the food
factories of plants are located: whether
food is made in all parts of a plant or
only in certain parts? How do plants
obtain the raw materials from the
surroundings? How do they transport
them to the food factories of plants?
1.2 PHOTOSYNTHESIS — FOOD
MAKING PROCESS IN PLANTS
Leaves are the food factories of plants.
Therefore, all the raw materials must
reach the leaf. Water and minerals
present in the soil are absorbed by the
roots and transported to the leaves.
Carbon dioxide from air is taken in
 Cells
You have seen that buildings are made of bricks.
Nucleus
Similarly, the bodies of living organisms are
made of tiny units called cells. Cells can be seen
only under the microscope. Some organisms
are made of only one cell. The cell is enclosed by Cytoplasm
a thin outer boundary, called the cell membrane.
Most cells have a distinct, centrally located
Cell membrane
spherical structure called the nucleus (Fig. 1.1).
The nucleus is surrounded by a jelly-like
substance called cytoplasm. Fig. 1.1 Cell

through the tiny pores present on the
surface of leaves. These pores are
surrounded by ‘guard cells’. Such pores
are called stomata [Fig. 1.2 (c)].
Boojho wants to know how water
and minerals absorbed by roots
reach the leaves.
Water and minerals are transported
to the leaves by the vessels which run
like pipes throughout the root, the stem,
the branches and the leaves. They form
a continuous path or passage for the
nutrients to reach the leaf. They are
called vessels. You will learn more about
transport of materials in plants in
Chapter 11.
Paheli wants to know what is so
special about the leaves that they
can synthesise food but other
parts of the plant cannot.
The leaves have a green pigment
called chlorophyll. It helps leaves to
capture the energy of the sunlight. This
energy is used to synthesise (prepare)
food from carbon dioxide and water.
Since the synthesis of food occurs in the
presence of sunlight, it is called
photosynthesis (Photo: light; synthesis :
to prepare). So we find that chlorophyll,
sunlight, carbon dioxide and water are
necessary to carry out the process of
photosynthesis. It is a unique process
on the earth. The solar energy is
captured by the leaves and stored in the
plant in the form of food. Thus, sun is
the ultimate source of energy for all
living organisms.
Can you imagine life on earth in the
absence of photosynthesis!
In the absence of photosynthesis
there would not be any food. The
survival of almost all living organisms
directly or indirectly depends upon the
food made by the plants. Besides,
oxygen which is essential for the survival

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 Besides leaves, photosynthesis also takes place in other green parts of the
plant — in green stems and green branches. The desert plants have scale- or
spine-like leaves to reduce loss of water by transpiration. These plants have
green stems which carry out photosynthesis.

of all organisms is produced during Light energy

photosynthesis. In the absence of
photosynthesis, life would be impossible
on the earth.
During photosynthesis, chlorophyll
Carbon
containing cells of leaves (Fig. 1.2), in
dioxide
the presence of sunlight, use carbon Chlorophyll
Oxygen in leaf
dioxide and water to synthesise
carbohydrates (Fig. 1.3). The process
can be represented in an equation:
Water and
sunlight
Carbon dioxide + water  → minerals
chlorophyll

Carbohydrate + oxygen Fig. 1.3 Diagram showing

photosynthesis
Chlorophyll
During the process oxygen is
released. The presence of starch in
leaves indicates the occurrence of
photosynthesis. Starch is also a
carbohydrate.

Guard Cells Stoma

Boojho has observed some
(b) Section of a leaf
plants with deep red, violet or
brown leaves. He wants to
Guard cells know whether these leaves
also carry out photosynthesis.
(a) Leaf

Activity 1.1
Stomatal opening Take two potted plants of the same kind.
(c) Stoma
Keep one in the dark (or in a black box)
Fig. 1.2 for 72 hours and the other in sunlight.

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Perform iodine test with the leaves of
both the plants as you did in Class VI.
Record your results. Now leave the pot
which was earlier kept in the dark, in
the sunlight for 3 – 4 days and perform
the iodine test again on its leaves.
Record your observations in your
notebook.
The leaves other than green also have
chlorophyll. The large amount of red,
brown and other pigments mask the
green colour (Fig. 1.4). Photosynthesis
takes place in these leaves also.
Fig. 1.4 Leaves of various colours
You often see slimy, green patches
in ponds or stagnant water bodies. These
are generally formed by the growth of
organisms called algae. Can you guess
why algae are green in colour? They
contain chlorophyll which gives them
the green colour. Algae can also prepare
their own food by photosynthesis.
Synthesis of plant food other
than carbohydrates
You have just learnt that plants
synthesise carbohydrates through the
process of photosynthesis. The
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carbohydrates are made of carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen. These are used
to synthesise other components of food
such as proteins and fats. But proteins
are nitrogenous substances which
contain nitrogen. From where do the
plants obtain nitrogen?
Recall that nitrogen is present in
abundance in gaseous form in the air.
However, plants cannot absorb nitrogen
in this form. Soil has certain bacteria that
convert gaseous nitrogen into a usable
form and release it into the soil. These
are absorbed by the plants along with
water. Also, you might have seen farmers
adding fertilisers rich in nitrogen to the
soil. In this way the plants fulfil their
requirements of nitrogen along with the
other constituents. Plants can then
synthesise proteins and vitamins.
1.3 OTHER MODES OF NUTRITION IN
PLANTS
There are some plants which do not have
chlorophyll. They cannot synthesise
food. How do they survive and from
where do they derive nutrition? Like
humans and animals such plants
depend on the food produced by other
plants. They use the heterotrophic
mode of nutrition. Look at Fig. 1.5. Do
you see a yellow wiry branched structure
twining around the stem and branches
of a tree? This is a plant called Cuscuta
(Amarbel). It does not have chlorophyll.
It takes readymade food from the plant
on which it is climbing. The plant on
which it climbs is called the host. Since
it deprives the host of valuable nutrients,
 the pitcher. Inside the pitcher there are
hair which entangle the trapped insect.
The lid closes and the insect is trapped.
The insect is killed by the juices secreted
in the pitcher and its nutrients are
absorbed. Such insect-eating plants are
called insectivorous plants.
Is it possible that such plants do not
get all the required nutrients from the
soil in which they grow?

Boojho is confused. If the

Fig. 1.5 Cuscuta (Amarbel) on host plant pitcher plant is green and
carries out photosynthesis, then
Cuscuta is called the parasite. Are we
why does it feed on insects?
and other animals also a kind of
parasites? You should think about it
and discuss with your teacher.
Lid

Paheli wants to know whether

mosquitoes, bed bugs, lice and
leeches that suck our blood are
also parasites.

Have you seen or heard of plants that

can eat animals? There are a few plants
Leaf modified
which can trap insects and digest them. into pitcher
Is it not amazing? Such plants may be
green or of some other colour. Look at Fig. 1.6 Pitcher plant showing lid and pitcher
the plant in Fig. 1.6. The pitcher-like or
jug-like structure is the modified part 1.4 SAPROTROPHS
of leaf. The apex of the leaf forms a lid You might have seen packets of
which can open and close the mouth of mushrooms sold in the vegetable

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market. You may have also seen fluffy
umbrella-like patches growing in moist
soils or on rotting wood during the rainy
season (Fig. 1.7). Let us find out what
type of nutrients they need to survive
and from where they get them.

Fig. 1.8 Fungi

growing on bread

These organisms are called fungi.

Fig. 1.7 Packet of mushrooms, a mushroom
growing on decayed material
Boojho wants to know how
these organisms acquire
nutrients. They do not have
mouths like animals do. They are
not like green plants as they lack
chlorophyll and cannot make food
by photosynthesis.
Activity 1.2
Take a piece of bread and moisten it with
water. Leave it in a moist warm place
for 2–3 days or until fluffy patches
appear on them (Fig. 1.8). What is the
colour of these patches? Observe the
patches under a microscope or a
magnifying glass. Write down your
observations in the notebook. You will
see cotton-like threads spread on the
piece of bread.
They have a different mode of nutrition.
They absorb the nutrients from the
bread. This mode of nutrition in which
organisms take in nutrients from dead
and decaying matter is called
saprotrophic nutrition. Such organisms
with saprotrophic mode of nutrition are
called saprotrophs.
Fungi also grow on pickles, leather,
clothes and other articles that are left
in hot and humid weather for long time.
During the rainy season they spoil many
things. Ask your parents about the
menace of fungi in your house.
The fungal spores are generally
present in the air. When they land on
Paheli is keen to know
whether her beautiful shoes,
which she wore on special
occasions, were spoiled by fungi
during the rainy season. She
wants to know how fungi appear
suddenly during the rainy
season.

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Boojho says once his
grandfather told him that his
wheat fields were spoiled by a
fungus. He wants to know if
fungi cause diseases also.
Paheli told him that many fungi
like yeast and mushrooms are
useful, but some fungi
cause diseases in plants,
animals including
humans. Some
fungi are also
used as medicines.
wet and warm things they germinate and
grow. Now, can you figure out how we
can protect our things from getting
spoiled?
Some organisms live together and
share both shelter and nutrients. This
relationship is called symbiosis. For
example, certain fungi live inside the
roots of plants. The plants provide
nutrients to the fungus and, in return,
the fungus provides water and certain
nutrients.
In organisms called lichens, a
chlorophyll-containing partner, which is
an alga, and a fungus live together. The
fungus provides shelter, water and
minerals to the alga and, in return, the
alga prepares and provides food to the
fungus.
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1.5 HOW NUTRIENTS ARE
REPLENISHED IN THE SOIL
Have you seen farmers spreading
manure or fertilisers in the fields, or
gardeners using them in lawns or in
pots? Do you know why this is done?
You learnt that plants absorb
minerals and nutrients from the soil.
So, their amounts in the soil keep on
declining. Fertilisers and manures
contain nutrients such as nitrogen,
potassium, phosphorous, etc. These
nutrients need to be added from time to
time to enrich the soil. We can grow
plants and keep them healthy if we can
fulfil the nutrient requirement of plants.
Usually crop plants absorb a lot of
nitrogen and the soil becomes deficient
in nitrogen. You learnt that though
nitrogen gas is available in plenty in the
air, plants cannot use it in the manner
they can use carbon dioxide. They need
nitrogen in a soluble form. Hence,
addition of fertilisers and manures
enriches the soil. The bacterium called
Rhizobium can take atmospheric
nitrogen and convert it into a usable
form. But Rhizobium cannot make its
own food. So it often lives in the roots of
gram, peas, moong, beans and other
legumes and provides them with
nitrogen. In return, the plants provide
food and shelter to the bacteria. They,
thus, have a symbiotic relationship. This
association is of great significance for the
farmers. They can reduce the use of
nitrogenous fertiliser where leguminous
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plants are grown. Most of the pulses (dals)
are obtained from leguminous plants.
In this chapter you learnt that
most of the plants are autotrophs.
Only a few plants are parasitic or
saprotrophic. They derive nutrition
from other organisms. All animals are
categorised as heterotrophs since
they depend on plants and other
animals for food. Can we say that
the insectivorous plants are partial
heterotrophs?

Keywords

Autotrophic Insectivorous Photosynthesis

Chlorophyll Nutrient Saprotrophs
Heterotrophs Nutrition Saprotrophic
Host Parasite Stomata

What you have learnt

 All organisms need food and utilise it to get energy for growth and
maintenance of their body.
 Green plants synthesise food for themselves by the process of
photosynthesis. They are autotrophs.
 Plants like Cuscuta are parasites. They take food from the host plant.
 Plants use simple chemical substances like carbon dioxide, water and
minerals for the synthesis of food.
 Chlorophyll, water, carbon dioxide and sunlight are the essential
requirements for photosynthesis.
 Complex chemical substances such as carbohydrates are the products
of photosynthesis.
 Solar energy is absorbed by the chlorophylls present in leaves/plants.
 Oxygen is produced during photosynthesis.
 Oxygen released in photosynthesis is utilised by living organisms for
their survival.
 Many fungi derive nutrition from dead and decaying matter. They are
saprotrophs.
 A few plants and all animals are dependent on others for their nutrition
and are called heterotrophs.

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 Exercise
1. Why do organisms take food?
2. Distinguish between a parasite and a saprotroph.
3. How would you test the presence of starch in leaves?
4. Give a brief description of the process of synthesis of food in green plants.
5. Show with the help of a sketch that plants are the ultimate source of
food.
6. Fill in the blanks:
(a) Green plants are called _________________ since they synthesise
their own food.
(b) The food synthesised by plants is stored as _________________.
(c) In photosynthesis solar energy is absorbed by the pigment called
___________.
(d) During photosynthesis plants take in ______________________ and
release __________________ gas.
7. Name the following:
(i) A parasitic plant with yellow, slender and branched stem.
(ii) A plant that is partially autotrophic.
(iii) The pores through which leaves exchange gases.
8. Tick the correct answer:
(a) Cuscuta is an example of:
(i) autotroph (ii) parasite (iii) saprotroph (iv) host
(b) The plant which traps and feeds on insects is:
(i) Cuscuta (ii) china rose (iv) pitcher plant (iv) rose
9. Match the items given in Column I with those in Column II:
Column I Column II
Chlorophyll Rhizobium
Nitrogen Heterotrophs
Cuscuta Pitcher plant
Animals Leaf
Insects Parasite
10. Mark ‘T’ if the statement is true and ‘F’ if it is false:
(i) Carbon dioxide is released during photosynthesis. (T/F)
(ii) Plants which synthesise their food are called saprotrophs. (T/F)

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 (iii) The product of photosynthesis is not a protein. (T/F)
(iv) Solar energy is converted into chemical energy during
photosynthesis. (T/F)
11. Choose the correct option from the following:
Which part of the plant takes in carbon dioxide from the air for
photosynthesis?
(i) Root hair (ii) Stomata (iii) Leaf veins (iv) Petals
12. Choose the correct option from the following:
Plants take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere mainly through their:
(i) roots (ii) stem (iii) flowers (iv) leaves
13. Why do farmers grow many fruits and vegetable crops inside large green
houses? What are the advantages to the farmers?

Extended Learning — Activities and Projects

1. Project
Take a potted plant with broad
leaves. Take two strips of black
paper and cut out a small square
in the centres. Cover a part of two
leaves with these papers and secure
them with paper clips (Fig. 1.9).
Keep the plant in sunlight for 2–5
days. Observe the difference in the
colour of the covered and the
uncovered portions on the leaf.
Perform iodine test on this leaf. Did Fig. 1.9 Experiment to test the
the two parts show different occurrence of photosynthesis
results? Now take second leaf.
Remove the strip and expose the covered part to the sunlight for 2–3
days and do the iodine test again. Describe your observations.
2. Visit a green house if there is one near your place. Observe how they
grow plants. Find out how they regulate the amount of light, water and
carbon dioxide to grow the plants.
3. Try growing a sweet potato just in water. Describe your experiment and
observations.
You can read more on the following website:
www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/biocoach/photosynth/
overview.htm

Did you know?

Light is so important to plants that their leaves grow in many patterns so
as to absorb maximum sunlight.

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